The assessment of empathy in adolescence: A contribution to the Italian validation of the “Basic Empathy Scale”

Abstract The present study examined the validity of the Basic Empathy Scale (BES) [Jolliffe, D., & Farrington, D. P. (2006a). Development and validation of the Basic Empathy Scale. Journal of Adolescence, 29 , 589–611; Jolliffe, D., & Farrington, D. P. (2006b). Examining the relationship bet...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of adolescence (London, England.) England.), 2009-04, Vol.32 (2), p.393-408
Main Authors: Albiero, Paolo, Matricardi, Giada, Speltri, Daniela, Toso, Diana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescence
Adolescent
Adolescents
Adult
Affect
Affective Behavior
Aggression
Balanced Empathy Emotional Scale
Basic Empathy Scale
Behavior
Biological and medical sciences
Bullying
Cognition
Cognitive Processes
Developmental psychology
Discriminant analysis
Empathy
Factor Analysis
Factor Structure
Female
Foreign Countries
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Internal Consistency
Interpersonal Reactivity Index
Interpersonal Relations
Italy
Male
Measures (Individuals)
Pediatrics
Peer Relationship
Prosocial Behavior
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Psychometrics
Psychometrics. Sociometry
Questionnaires
Reproducibility of Results
Scores
Social Behavior
Social psychology
Surveys and Questionnaires
Teenagers
Test Reliability
Test Validity
Validation studies
Young Adult
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Summary:Abstract The present study examined the validity of the Basic Empathy Scale (BES) [Jolliffe, D., & Farrington, D. P. (2006a). Development and validation of the Basic Empathy Scale. Journal of Adolescence, 29 , 589–611; Jolliffe, D., & Farrington, D. P. (2006b). Examining the relationship between low empathy and bullying. Aggressive Behavior, 32 (6), 540–550.] and found further evidence for the scale's good psychometric properties. The BES was administered to a sample of 655 Italian adolescents to examine the generalizability and reliability of its factor structure. The results of the confirmatory factor analysis showed a reasonable data fit with the two hypothesized BES domains of Cognitive Empathy and Affective Empathy. Scale reliability was also satisfactory, showing good internal consistency. Lastly, BES scores were significantly associated with other empathy questionnaire scores (the Interpersonal Reactivity Index and Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale) and with a scale measuring prosocial behavior. Research and practice implications are discussed.
ISSN:0140-1971
1095-9254
DOI:10.1016/j.adolescence.2008.01.001